REPORT 2013

DIRECTOR–SMALLER NATIONAL MENSAS

Over the last year, we have identified a greater need for information, in both directions. National Mensas need to understand what MIL can provide, and what MIL requires. Achieving this is not easy by any standard; some steps have been taken though. The yearly reports are more detailed than before, and the D-SNM personally engages with national chairs to help clarify matters. It is my experience that communication between the D-SNM and national chairs is most useful when dealing with particular issues that have arisen in the country. For the future, I envision that the D-SNM could help out by making sure that vital information is received by the NMs, and that their input on particular matters is extracted.

Since last year's report, I have presented a number of motions that the IBD has approved:

An amendment to the reform of the standing orders from 2011, that substituted a simplified set of meeting rules for the more extensive Robert's Rules. This time, we clarified how to transparently handle votes by secret ballot.
A recommended provision in the Minimum Standard Constitutional Requirements, that the chair is responsible for the upholding of the national constitution. Originally, my intention was to add some kind of requirement that would prevent breaches of the constitution at the national level, before the problems escalated too much. After much discussion, my first motion, that involved giving more power to the ombudsman, was completely replaced by this one.
All NMs are now required to keep an updated version of their constitutions available at the international website.
An update of the guidelines for the international publication, in order to put the matter of the Mensa World Journal to rest, after several years. It is now ok to reformat digital material from the NWJ as long as a minimum set of mandatory pieces are included.

I have also initiated a process of changing the way the IBD selects meeting site host groups. It is my estimate that a longer preparation time, two years instead of one year, is a needed and welcome change.

The EMAG panel continues to function well. The D-SNM is in charge of the panel and the guidelines for EMAG have been thoroughly updated, available on the website. An established practice of a waiting list has emerged, where the host is formally selected two years ahead of time, at a teleconference following the last EMAG. An offer of help with similar coordination has been extended to the current hosts of the Asian Mensa Gathering, but so far nothing has been decided. The role of MIL is in these contexts only to facilitate international coordination, as it is the countries themselves who do the full job of arranging the gatherings.

Several countries, that I will not name, have asked for advice on internal matters, for example how to handle conflicts, sanctions or problematic members. Often, strictly adhering to the word of the constitutions is enough to solve much of these issues. Sometimes, we discover severe discrepancies between the national constitutions and the MSCRs. It is possible for problems to arise as a result of these flaws, for example when postal ballot is not used for all referendums. Particularly small countries might need some leeway in the beginning though, as long as there is a clear progress towards full compliance.

The remit of the D-SNM is not very detailed, leaving much room for the holders of this office to shape it further. As the third D-SNM, it has been my intention over the past two years to continue to define it in such a way that the fourth D-SNM, my successor, will have a more specific idea about where to start their work. Transitions are opportunities for improvements, and since I was interested in a different office, where there would be no incumbent to stand against, I resolved not to seek a second term as D-SNM, thereby enabling a new person to join the ExComm and continue the work.

It has been an honour to serve as the representative of the Small National Mensas these two years. I wish my successor a lot of success and promise to give him or her my full support.